XIII said:
Exactly, It could have been going on forever or for just two seasons. Nobody knows so we can't say.
Even then, they were not fixing games, just influencing which ref they had.
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Punishments Handed Down in Italian Match Fixing Scandal
- Thread starter ham_man
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Exactly, It could have been going on forever or for just two seasons. Nobody knows so we can't say.
Even then, they were not fixing games, just influencing which ref they had.
dynamicv said:OK, Italian football's top league is Serie A, the next one down is Serie B, then you have multiple serie Cs divided by geography. Only Serie A sides ever compete internationally, where there are millions of pounds (or billions of rand) at stake for every match. These four clubs have been punished by taking them out of the Italian top flight and have been moved a league lower. Therefore they will lose millions in lost TV revenue, and cannot realistically qualify for international competition for at least another two season, further punishing their finances.
The minus points thing means they start next season with a penalty. As their current teams are made up of Serie A standard players, without this it would be likely they would dominate the lower league and immediately earn promotion. The penalty acts as a handicap to ensure that other Serie B teams still have the same chance of promotion they would otherwise get.
EDIT: Last of the responses. Blame the mojitos
All of this thread is rather accademical since the FIGC sentece was only the first level and all teams involved have announced appeals. The second trial is expected to finish on the 25th
Yep. They were both relegated to Serie B in 1980 over illegal betting made on their own matches.ham_man said:
Lazio were also hit with a points deduction in the mid-1980s over other corrupt practices. So it's fair to say they both have form when it comes to dodgy dealings.
Me like. Me like very much. To throw in a bit of Americana, if there is one school that will never, ever, allow its football team to seriously violate NCAA rules again it is SMU. I expect that the ownership of these 4 teams will control their minions in much the same way.
I would have loved to see the Death Penalty (plus relegation to Serie D or whatever the lowest league is) imposed on the most guilty of the group (I guess Juve). It crushed the Mustangs, it would have crushed the Zebras. It has taken years, but they are working their way back up. A professional club would eventually work its way back up.
I would have loved to see the Death Penalty (plus relegation to Serie D or whatever the lowest league is) imposed on the most guilty of the group (I guess Juve). It crushed the Mustangs, it would have crushed the Zebras. It has taken years, but they are working their way back up. A professional club would eventually work its way back up.
BakedBeans said:
Yes, a hell of a lot.
^look, it isn' hard to be a patronising so 'n' so is it?^
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BakedBeans said:
FleurDuMal said:
Did you watch the World Cup Final on BBC1? In the pre-match build-up they interviewed Gianluca Vialli, and asked for his opinion on the Serie A scandal. He was asked whether the match-fixing scandal came as a suprise to him.
He smiled & said: "Look, there has always been something a little funny about the goings on in Serie A". [I might be paraphrasing slightly - can't remember exactly]
If you are naive enough to think that corruption in Serie A has only ever occurred in the '04-'05 & '05-'06 seasons, then might I suggest that you are the one who "doesn't know the history of football".
The scandal taints far more that just the results of the past 2 seasons. Or, to put it another way:
XIII said:
Maybe you should read up on the details of the case, because if you did then you would see just how far up Serie A this corruption goes, and how deeply embedded it seems to have been.
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Match fixing is the worst crime that a club can commit. In many senses it's even worse than hooliganism. It is an intentional attempt to devalue and debase the most beautiful competitive sport in the world. It is a disgrace.
The punishments were certainly not too harsh. If anything AC Milan's punishment is too lenient - though it's hardly suprising, seeing as how the club president is Silvio Berlusconi, one of the most powerful men in Italy.
I used to really like Italian football. I still remember watching the old "Gazetta Football Italia" on Channel 4 on Saturday mornings. And I was always impressed at the quite spectacular quality of football on display - which far outshone what we had in the Premiership.
But for all Serie A's quality, it is difficult to have much respect for Serie A as a competitive league right now. And that is the fault of Juventus, Lazio, Fiorentia & AC Milan (and I'm sure some individuals). And for that, it is right that they are punished. Hard.
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BakedBeans said:
I sincerely hope that's a joke.
BakedBeans, if you can so easily overlook the gravity of this cheating, then I really must question your moral fibre.
Honesty is always more important than winning. It's a shame that not everyone seems to agree.
Applespider said:
Looks like we called it right.
Lazio and Fiorentina now both stay in Serie A but with larger point differentials, AC Milan get their penalty cut but Juventus stay in Serie B although do get the points sop which should mean they avoid relegation to Serie C
Applespider said:
Which basically means that Milan could even play the Champions League and Juventus will probably be up in the Serie A the next season.
Now if I had a top club in Europe I'd refuse to play Milan in the Champions League. This entire thing is a joke. It's like a clap on the butt and a "don't do it again" nothing more.
Probably not that there is much comparison, in the US such things have been dealt with lifetime bans...
MongoTheGeek said:
Harsh but fair
But are any of you surprised that the punishments were reduced? AC Milan could even be in the Champions League this season, which means that they haven't really had a financial punishment.
Could Berlusconi have pulled a few strings behind the scene?
Diatribe said:
sounds more like a "be careful with that phone" and a wink.
can uefa refuse them (AC milan)?